My Heart is Like a Zoo

I read about My Heart is Like a Zoo by Michael Hall last night and bought it for our library today. (Thanks, Creative Literacy!) Our second graders are experts at finding and creating similes. I think that they will love this book and the chance to create their own heart creatures with Valentine's Day on the horizon. Here's a trailer that will give you the flavor of this clever book.

2010 Reading Challenge

I read on one of my favorite librarian blogs, TLC, about the 100+ Reading Challenge hosted by J.Kaye I've always kept lists of classroom reading, and I've encouraged the kids to keep reading logs, but I've never been organized enough to keep a record of my own reading. This is the year...I'm itching to get started today on this goal of reading 100 books by December 31, 2010. I'll keep the list on the sidebar of this blog and also on Library Thing. I hope that some of you will join me on this reading adventure!

Those Shoes

Holiday time might be the perfect time to read Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts with the second grade. It's a great story to kick off a discussion about the difference between needs and wants. Jeremy wants a pair of black high tops that "everyone" at school is wearing. His grandmother can afford only necessities. The story results in Jeremy learning a lot about generosity and friendship. One second grade boy said that this is a great book for Christmas because it shows "the joy in your heart that you feel when you give." What could be better?

Katie Loves the Kittens

Pet lovers were clamoring to check out Katie Loves the Kittens by John Himmelman even before it was cataloged and on the shelf. It's the story of a sweet dog who is beside herself with excitement when her owner brings home three baby kittens. Katie works hard (through many failed attempts) to find a way to make the friendship work.

Ruby Lu, Brave and True

I finally read Lenore Look's Ruby Lu, Brave and True. Ruby is a girl who I know that I would love as a friend or as a student. She loves her baby brother, her grandparents, doing magic tricks, her neighborhood, her teacher, and just about everything. The book would be great for second graders when they're studying immigration. I'm going to order Ruby Lu, Empress of Everything right now!

Thanksgiving

A parent volunteer recommended Thanks for Thanksgiving, a book that she says is a traditional read at their house in November. We used some of Julie Markes's fun rhyming text on our bulletin board in the library and paired it with student photography that illustrated some of the things that we all are thankful for. Don't miss this one. It might become a yearly read at your house, too.

If you liked Harry Potter...

After eyeing it on the shelf for over a year, I finally read Midnight for Charlie Bone by Jenny Nimmo. Fans of Harry Potter are sure to like this one. Charlie is a ten year old boy who discovers that he has the ability to hear the voices of people in photographs. Charlie and his friends try to find a girl who has been missing for years. The book is full of mystery, suspense, and magic. If you read it, be sure to let me know your thoughts. Would you like to read more of this series?